All about the ASMSU Election Questionnaires and who's running for office

Hey Bobcats! As the semester is inching closer to the end and classes are beginning to wrap up, it’s time to think about something that is important for all MSU students: Elections for the Associated Students of Montana State University student government (ASMSU). Every year, ASMSU holds elections for the student body president and vice president, as well as for senators representing each college of the university and students as a whole.

These elections provide students the opportunity to make their voices heard and to have a say in student government. These are some big decisions to make, and you don’t want to pass up voting in this election. We’ve asked candidates in these races to respond to questions about their policies in a series of questionnaires designed to inform you about their ideas.

In this online home for ASMSU election content, found in the ASMSU Elections tab, you’ll find questionnaires for the two teams of candidates running for ASMSU president and vice president, which contain information about their policies and what they wish to accomplish in their positions if elected. You'll also find questionnaires for students running for ASMSU Senate. The senate positions going up for a vote include two seats to represent the College of Agriculture, one seat to represent the College of Arts and Architecture, two seats to represent the Jake Jabs College of Business, two seats to represent the College of Education Health and Human Development, four seats to represent the College of Engineering, four seats to represent the College of Letters and Science, one seat to represent the College of Nursing, one seat to represent University Studies and four at-large senate seats. You’ll find the senate questionnaires separated into categories based on the colleges students are running for.

The senate questionnaires don’t yet include every single candidate running for election to the ASMSU senate. The Exponent began reaching out to candidates on a rolling basis starting on April 10 as they filed for candidacy, based on campaign information provided by the ASMSU elections director. Due to the tight turnaround between campaign announcements and the date of publication, some candidates who filed for election are not yet featured. Some candidates also haven’t responded. Responses will be continually updated online to the appropriate college as they are received. Running for election and don't see your name here yet? Check your email!

Interested in hearing from these candidates first hand? On Monday, April 24, from noon to 1 p.m. in the SUB Union Market, there will be a general election debate where the teams running for ASMSU president and vice president will debate their policies. The next day, April 25, students can join the candidates running for election for a barbecue on the Mall from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m, according to the ASMSU Elections timeline.

Those are the last steps before general elections open for students to cast their ballots on April 25 and 26. Visit the ASMSU elections webpage for more information on how to vote, and to view brief biographies for all the candidates running for office.

The following is a list of candidates running for senate, updated as of Monday, April 24:

College of Arts and Architecture (1 seat)

Emma Poole

Lenny Triem

College of Letters and Science (4 seats)

Chase McCulloch

Wyatt Clark

Madisen Dunne

Marguerite Kibodeaux

Lorelei Michael-Owens

Kiala Hirsch

Joel Kunzelmen

College of Agriculture (2 seats)

Oliver Cole

Walter Scheldorf

Siera Harrison

College of Business (2 seats)

Paige LePard

College of Education, Health, and Human Development (2 seats)

Taylor Bookwalter

College of Engineering (4 seats)

William Swenson

Kyra Herronen

Malcolm Wogoman

Rex Wu

Dylan Richards

College of Nursing (1 seat)

Annika Lawrence

University Studies

No applicants yet

At-Large (4 seats)

Zane Horst

Lucy Hanacek

Taryn Van Steeland

Strandvold Knudsen

Miller Rijfkogel

Josie Kaufman

Katie Delker